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Navy Vet’s Wheelchair Stolen: Police Dept. Replaces It

Unified police officer Mike Wersland told Roy Feragen that investigators had served a search warrant looking for his stolen wheelchair and that he was needed to identify evidence.

“He lied,” the quick-witted Feragen said Tuesday with a smile, prompting laughter from the room.

Instead, Wersland brought the retired Navy veteran, soon to turn 85, into Taylorsville City Hall, where Feragen received a brand-new motorized wheelchair courtesy of the Unified Police Department, Taylorsville city and Overstock.com.

“I don’t know what you can say, but this is fantastic. You don’t expect this,” Feragen said with tears filling his eyes.

The presentation Tuesday afternoon of the new wheelchair also brought Wersland, who was the first officer Feragen came in contact with after the robbery, to tears.

“I won’t forget it,” he said when asked about what it was like seeing Feragen’s reaction to getting the new chair. “I’ve been doing this 20 years and I’ve never experienced anything like this.

“I’m not going to lie, I teared up quite a bit over the last few days, just hearing what people were willing to do,” he said.